


Sapper

by RedGold



Series: Team Flynn [1]
Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Flynn is bad at flirting, playing fast and loose with military regs, this is canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-01-02
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22080811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedGold/pseuds/RedGold
Summary: How Flynn and Lorena met... and how they managed to go on a date... considering how romantically hopeless Flynn is.
Relationships: Garcia Flynn/Lorena Flynn
Series: Team Flynn [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2067330
Comments: 6
Kudos: 12





	Sapper

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of my main headcanon's for Flynn and Lorena's background. If I need to refer to something in their past in a fic, then it's likely this or something similar.

**Meet Cute?**

Flynn was a fighter; it’s what he knew. From the moment he joined the fight in the Croatian War of Independence against his mother’s wishes—when the war took his father from him—to every day after was a fight of one form or another.

And he was good at it. So when his mother passed and all he was left with was a very particular skillset, and no family to miss him when he was gone, he kept doing it.

He wasn’t like the men who were just plain bloodthirsty, no. Flynn helped people. He’d buck orders when he had to. Try to find other ways than pulling the trigger. And that would piss people off who had no right to be in command. But they were in command, so piss them off he did.

That’s how he ended up digging a ditch.

Technically it was a series of trenches for bridge foundations, but a ditch is a ditch, whatever you put in it.

“We have to dig one more meter,” Stiv told him after he confirmed the measurements with the Army engineer who was on shift. 

Flynn stuck the shovel in the ground and leaned on it. The sun was bright, at least there was a breeze and plenty of water. But the ground was wet, and he felt the soil creeping into his pores even as he sweated. “Another meter? This ditch is nearly as tall as I am!”

They’d been working on these ditches for a few days, along with several other military men who found themselves being punished. But they took shifts, rotating who got to dig, who got to remove the dirt that was dug out, and who got to rest. 

The engineer shrugged his shoulders. “That’s the Sapper’s instructions.”

“Sapper, huh?” Flynn took a deep breath and considered his options. “This is ridiculous.”

“Where you going?” Stiv asked as Flynn headed to the ladder to climb out of the hole.

“To tell the Sapper they’re crazy if they think we’re going to dig this much,” he called back.

He barely heard the engineer say, “Oh, that is a bad idea.”

Flynn hadn’t actually met the Sapper. The work was already in progress when he, Stiv, and three others in his team were ‘temporarily re-assigned.’ They were to help the US Army build a bridge over a river to replace one that got bombed and was nearly unusable. Yes, the village on the other side needed this bridge to live their lives. This would help the innocent and unfortunate locals.

But did the ditches have to be that deep?

Flynn walked into base camp which was a large tent city. It also housed various military branches on different assignments in the region. He asked to be directed towards the Army Sapper and was told to check the North side, by the supply tents.

There were several people moving through the area. Some trucks were dropping off what looked like building supplies. One of the Army officers, her light brown hair pulled back into a medium braid, was taking inventory and occasionally shouting out orders. She had a red, curved badge—referred to as a tab—on her shoulder, the words SAPPER written in bold white letters. Flynn headed straight for her.

“You the Sapper?” Flynn asked a bit gruffly. 

“No,” she said dryly as she continued to check inventory. “I want everyone to know I’m really into romance novels.”

Flynn ignored the comment. “We need to talk about these ditches you’re making us dig.”

With a sigh that can only be described as ‘here we go again,’ she slid her pencil into the top of the clipboard then turned to look at him. Nearly everyone is shorter than Flynn, though this woman was taller than most. She was likely used to looking men dead on, and faltered for a moment as she realized she was looking right as his neck. 

Her eyes flicked up, not letting herself be intimidated. She carried herself with confidence, but not a haughty one. No, she’s confident because she did the work to get there. He’d expect nothing less of someone who finished Sapper Training. He’d heard talk about what Sappers had to go through. It was pretty much Special Forces training, only specialized for combat engineering.

“Is there a problem with the work schedule?” she asked him. “I built in plenty of rotation and downtime, but we do have a timetable to keep.”

“I’m wondering if it’s really necessary to dig these as deep as you’re asking,” he said, letting his frustration color his words and tone. “It seems a bit excessive.”

“Oh, okay,” she replied with a mockingly concerned expression. “Well, let’s see… I could have made a mistake in my extensive design calculations which I learned how to do while getting my engineering degree. But I’m willing to hear a counterpoint. Because I’m sure you’re an expert in bridge building. How many bridges have you built, by the way?” She smiled at him. “Just ballpark it for me.”

A lesser man would try to argue, try to save face, but he had put his foot in his mouth and he knew it.

“Right. Thought so,” she said and then looked at his name badge. “Now, Flynn, is it?” She stepped forward which made her tilt her head back farther to meet his eyes, but the effect of intimidation was still there. 

This woman was staring up at him but was somehow staring him down.

“I just want you to know that, yes, the trenches need to built that deep so I can lay down a proper foundation,” her words are clear, concise, and sharp. “Because when the rainy season hits, well, I could bore you with volume flow ratios, but I see you get my point.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, suitably dressed down.

“Yes, _Sapper_ ,” she corrected him.

“Yes, Sapper.” Flynn had no issue in addressing her as she wished, she had clearly earned the title.

“You know, I gave my specs to command and asked for an excavator. Said I _needed_ one. Instead they sent me a bunch of troublemakers to babysit.” She was studying his eyes, his expressions. “I don’t know what you did to get this assignment, but, by all means, complain your little heart out about having to dig the trenches.” She got just a little bit closer. “But you’re still going to dig them.”

“Yes, Sapper,” he conceded defeat.

“Alright, good talk.” She smiled and stepped back. “Now, I need to go do my job and prepare to mix several tons of concrete.” She started to walk away. “You just stand there and… uh... be... tall…”

Flynn watched as she disappeared behind some trucks. A smile crept onto his face. He ain’t even mad.

Two days pass and he got news that he’s being re-assigned again, back into the fight. He knew he wouldn’t be punished for long, he was too valuable of an asset. 

Before he left the following morning, he needed to get something off his chest. He found himself knocking on the wooden post of the Sapper’s tent at a reasonable time of the early evening.

“Come in,” the Sapper, Lorena he learned her name was, called out.

Flynn ducked through the tent flap and immediately took stock of his surroundings. It was cluttered yet sparse. There were boxes and tools for surveying stacked around. A cot with a side table, complete with a coffee maker. Not a lot of personal items. 

Lorena herself was sitting at her desk, laptop in front of her and what looked like sketches and blueprints spread out. “Yes?” she asked without looking up from her typing.

“I wanted to talk to you but didn’t see you at mess.”

“Yeah, well.” She picked up a pencil and made a mark on one of her sketches. “I’m trying to finish up this bridge now that the supports are being laid in.” She glanced up at him. “So, what can I do for you?”

“My men and I are moving out tomorrow,” he explained. “I just wanted to take this time to apologize for before. I was tired and frustrated at the situation. Mad at the people who put me there. It’s not an excuse for not trusting your judgement, which is why I’m apologizing. I should have done it then, I hope you can accept it now.”

Lorena watched him for a moment, like she was trying to read his mind or see through a mask. But Flynn was never quite good at hiding himself. It had gotten him in trouble, from time to time.

“Flynn,” she finally says. “I think you are the third person, since I became Sapper, to be genuine with me. I appreciate that.” She rubbed at her face. “And if I’m honest, I probably didn’t need to go at you so hard.”

“The nature of command,” he said easily, letting her know there are no hard feelings. You can’t show weakness, that just opens the door.

There is a flash of weariness in her eyes. “Yeah, well, thank you, your apology is appreciated and accepted.”

Flynn nodded, glad that he cleared the air before he left. Even though it was unlikely he would ever see her again, he would still carry the weight of his misstep. His mother would chide him for his poor manners if she was still alive.

There isn’t much else to say, except, “Thank you, you enjoy the rest of your evening, Sapper.” 

“You too, Flynn,” she replied as he turned to leave. 

That’s when he saw it. A random personal object, flat and rectangle, sitting off to the side on her desk. “Is that…” he stumbles, trying to remember the exact phrase. “Is that a Hero of the Soviet Union medal?”

Lorena’s eyes glanced over at it and a small smile appeared on her lips. “It is indeed.”

He can’t stop the confused expression on his face. Why would an American Army personnel have a Soviet medal on their desk?

“It was my babushka’s, ah, grandmother’s,” she answers his unspoken question. “She was a bomber pilot during World War II.”

“A Night Witch?”

Lorena’s eyes snap back to him and there is a softness there he didn’t see before. “Yeah, you heard of them?”

“A bit,” he admits. “My mother mentioned them a few times. She used to work for Lockman, as an aviation engineer.”

“Lockman?” she said the word appreciatively. “She must have been very good.”

“She was,” he replied softly, nostalgia rising up in him. He shook it away for another day. “Is it true, the Night Witches would idle their engines? Just coast through the air?”

“Oh, yeah,” Lorena was smiling now, getting a little excited, starting to show another side of herself. “They had bomber planes, so they didn’t get into the dog fights that got all the glory. But man, did they scare the hell out of the Germans.”

“I bet.” Her joy was a tad bit infectious and he started to smile.

“The German’s gave them the Night Witch moniker,” she continued, her smile turning into a grin. “Wind would whistle through the wooden slats on their planes. They said it sounded like witches on their broomsticks.”

Flynn gave an appreciative hum. “The fact that they could fly so low and for so long that the Germans could hear the wind like that, it’s awe inspiring.”

“Yeah, she was.” It was Lorena’s turn to be nostalgic as she glanced at the medal. This woman, this Sapper, who had shown him nothing but confidence suddenly turned timid, biting her lip slightly. “You wanna hear how she earned the medal?”

“I have a feeling it’s a hell of a story,” he said, realizing he did, in fact, want to hear it. History was fascinating to him, especially the parts that slipped by. And as for Lorena herself, he found he wanted to listen to her.

"Well, that’s one way to put it," she laughed and he realized he was about to get in on an inside joke. “Have a seat.”

Flynn grabbed the only other chair and sat down, Lorena beginning her story. She was very passionate about it, getting animated. It was like she didn’t get to tell the story often enough, so she was taking every advantage, savoring every moment of it. He tried not to interrupt unless he had to, for clarification, and instead listened, and smiled.

It was quite the adventure her grandmother had, rescuing one of her fellow Night Witches who crashed over enemy lines. That story led into explaining that her grandmother had fallen in love with an American serviceman. They married and she came to the States, Indiana, to his family’s farm.

“You grew up on a farm?” he asked when he realized what she was saying.

“Oh, yeah,” she nodded. “We had dairy cows, pigs, you name it. And horses,” she got a little wistful. “I used to barrel race on my Appaloosa named Cerberus.”

“Cerberus?” Flynn asked. “Because Appaloosa’s are spotted and Cerberus means ‘the spotted one,’ if I'm not mistaken?”

“Yes, that’s absolutely right.” Lorena’s eyes got really soft again and he found himself staring at them, trying to match them. “You know your horse breeds.”

“Yeah, well,” it was his turn to be a little timid. “Always wanted to be a cowboy when I grew up.”

“It’s never too late,” she said with a grin.

Now it was Flynn’s turn to talk about the past, about his love of all things American Cowboy growing up with his Texan mother. He loved Croatia of course, he fought and bled for it. But he was allowed to love both countries. He just hoped he never had to choose between them.

Conversation was easy between them, flowing back and forth, each taking their turn to listen to the other. It was like they were old friends who were catching up with what the other had been doing the last twenty years of their lives. 

Eventually it turned to just why Flynn and his men were sent to dig ditches as punishment.

"And I told him, spin it all he wants, it’s still not going to work.”

Lorena burst out laughing and he found it to be a wonderful sound. “Why am I not surprised? Delta Force is such the worst.”

“Yeah,” he chuckled then took a moment to just _be in the moment_ , with Lorena. Her features are angled and sharp, but there is that softness in the eyes. Was he just now realizing how beautiful she was? She caught him staring and he cleared his throat. “It’s getting late.”

She glanced at the clock and it was indeed late, but still a reasonable time for him to leave before things got untoward. “Yes, it is moonshine-o’clock.”

“It’s what?” he did a mental blink, not sure he heard her right.

Lorena slid open her desk and pulled out an unmarked bottle of clear liquid and a glass. Glancing around, she reached over and grabbed a coffee mug from the desk stand. She looked at to make sure it was clean then sat it down next to the glass.

He had heard correctly. “Is that actual moonshine?”

“What kind of a Sapper would I be if I couldn’t build a rudimentary still?” She grinned conspiratorially as she poured for two. “Now, you need to tell me how you salvaged that mission, ‘cause I’m dying to know.”

Flynn took the offered mug—Lorena kept the glass—and took a sniff of the liquid. Everything immediately began to prickle. “This is really strong.”

“I didn’t say it was a good still,” she chuckled.

He shook off the initial shock and held up the mug in toast. “Well, what kind of credit would I be to my heritage if I couldn’t handle a little moonshine?”

She tapped her glass to his mug. “Indeed.”

…

Flynn really shouldn’t have tried to outdrink her. But, to be fair, he was hardly the first person to make that mistake. She might not look it, but alcohol might as well be water to her.

Her babushka was so proud.

Lorena glanced over to see Flynn still passed out on her cot, feet dangling off the end. His mouth was open, drool getting all over her pillowcase which she was going to change now. He had been snoring up a relative forest for the past hour-ish. 

She honestly hadn’t kept track as she went to finish her work. She wasn’t completely unaffected by the alcohol, she would need to double check her math in the morning after she got some rest. Once Flynn woke up and shuffled off.

It was a thought that made her a bit sad. 

Flynn was... she didn’t know what he was, to be honest. Although honest was a good word for it. He talked, he listened, he seemed genuinely interested. It was… quite nice to be able to just spend a few hours with someone who spent time with her, no strings attached. 

There were always strings attached.

Looking over at him again, realizing there was a string she overlooked, an obvious one: he’d be gone in the morning and she’d never see him again. 

Best not to get attached.

She went back to her work, starting to hum _Ain’t We Got Fun_ as she tried to concentrate. One of Flynn’s snores turned into a snort and he jerked awake. Lorena kept at her work so she wouldn’t have to look at him. She had a sneaky suspicion that he looked adorable when half-awake. 

Flynn sat up and in her peripheral she could see him rubbing his head and working out the alcohol induced haze. He looked at the near empty bottle of moonshine still sitting on her desk.

“How?” he asked, not really a reproach. 

“I’m Russian,” she reminded him, then paused. “I’m Russian enough. There’s coffee.”

He doesn’t question her alcoholic superpower, as her other Sapper Trainees had called it, and moved to make himself a cup of coffee. She made it about half an hour ago, so it should still be good and hot.

Flynn took a drink then coughed. “Did you make this with Tabasco?”

“Yep.”

“Okay,” he shrugged then downed the rest of it. He checked his watch. “I should get going.”

“Probably.” Lorena stayed focused, avoiding what is likely a very lovely sight. Okay, so Flynn was a good person on the inside, who just happened to look hella hot on the outside.

He got the hint, setting the mug aside and standing up. After checking to make sure nothing had fallen out of his pockets, he started heading towards the tent door. That’s when he stopped and turned back to her. “I’ll make sure to let everyone know that nothing happened in here… between us… physically…”

Damn that pure soul of a man. Lorena might have melted on the spot if a perpetual anger hadn’t risen up to rear its ugly head. “Tell them I’m a biter.”

She didn’t look up to see it, but she could hear Flynn choke. “What…?”

“Or, you know, whatever you’re in to.” She waved dismissively at him with one hand and with the other made a note on her sketch to look up some geographical data later.

“I’m… confused,” he said like he was trying to find the right words but was afraid all of them would reach up and slap him.

Lorena leaned back in her chair and sighed, giving herself a second to compose her thoughts and emotions. She was so used to just being the Sapper. Being the one in charge, not giving anyone an inch to use against her. And for the past few hours she had showed Flynn her soul, whether he realized it or not. And Saints preserve her, she wanted to hand this man her heart on a silver platter.

A ball of anger was tangled up inside her and, looking into his eyes, she wanted him to pull it apart. 

“I studied hard and I got the best grades in engineering school,” she couldn’t stop herself. “I can do flow calculations in my head. I have concrete mixing down to an art form. And I’m a good Catholic girl. But none of that matters.” She was clenching her jaw as she bit back the full level of her frustration and anger. “Most of the guys out there don’t believe I deserve my Sapper Tab. That I should be in charge. They think I must have slept my way to this position or something as equally tawdry. So, no matter what you tell them, they’re still going to think the worst of me.” Lorena laughed, it’s the only thing left once the damage is done. “I say screw them, have a little fun, build a reputation, make them jealous. Because they should be, because I’ll _always_ be better than them.”

Lorena gave him and apologetic look once she’s done, but damn did that feel good to get off her chest. And to someone who she knew was listening, who was understanding, who wouldn’t use it against her, and who wouldn’t make it about himself.

“You are better than them,” he says with a surety that nearly made her cry.

She tries to offer him a smile, but her words are true. “Never stop being genuine, Flynn.” 

He nodded and there is comfort in his eyes. Then he opens his mouth like he’s going to say see you later and the words die in his throat. They both know that’s not true. Did they do enough with the time they were allotted?

“You know,” she said softly, “if I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of the men thinking we spent some… quality time together, I never would have offered you the moonshine.”

His lips twitched, wanting to smile but something weighing them down. Is he thinking the same thing she is? Apparently so…

“I…” he starts, “I wish we had more time… to talk.”

“Yeah, me too.” It is a horribly honest and revealing answer, and she needs a relief from it. “Though, after questioning my engineering capabilities, you’d been lucky if I had given you the time of day.”

“I imagine I would’ve been,” he replies so soft, and genuine, and honest, and… 

He needed to leave, he needed to get out of her tent before she did something she would regret. Oh, it would be extremely enjoyable in the moment, but Lorena did not do casual. She was sure nether did he.

“Take care, Sapper.” Flynn makes his retreat.

“You too,” she says as he ducks out of the tent. 

Lorena pulled her rosary from her pocket and made a quick prayer to God, asking them to keep that man safe. She may never meet him again, but the world needed him, and someone out there needed him even more. Unfortunately... it wouldn’t be her.

…

Flynn walked away from the tent, every step a near attempt to turn around and go back.

He hadn’t connected to someone like that in a long time. It was a feeling that begged to be explored. But that’s wasn’t going to happen, he would be gone in a few hours and… 

If only he had more time.

**Coffee**

Flynn could admit it, he was looking forward to some downtime. Or at least the closest someone like him could get. He could still be shipped out at a moment’s notice, but only for a few days for whatever spec op he was called into. In the meantime, he would help train others to fight…

“These men as are so young,” Flynn shook his head as they watched the enlisted men head back to the barracks. “Might as well be children.”

Stiv gave him a dour look. “Shall I remind you of how young you were when you joined the War?” 

“That was different, I was fighting for my country.” Flynn gestured around the open grounds of the base. “They’re fighting for, what, oil?”

The base was just one of several dotted around the hot zones of political unrest that was of interest to larger countries with monetary investments in the region. It was quite large with several branches of military from different countries coming and going, working together, for the time being. Cooperation was only convenient until money or ideology got in the way, but mostly money.

“We can always stop, you know?” Stiv suggested simply, a reminder. “Next time our service is up, we decline and take our leave.”

But where would they go? Where would _he_ go? Stiv was the closest thing to family he had left, and Flynn wasn’t going to be a weight around the man’s neck. “You don’t have to stay either.”

“And who would keep you out of trouble?” 

Okay, so maybe the man had a point there.

“Come on,” Stiv patted him on the shoulder, “let’s go get some food in us before the next training session.”

Defeated for the moment, Flynn walked with Stiv towards the mess hall. They took a short cut through one of the administration buildings. 

“Hold up,” Flynn said the moment he saw her, standing down at the end of a side hallway. 

“Is that the Sapper?” Stiv asked.

“Yeah… that’s her.” Flynn was staring, he could recognize that he was, but he couldn’t stop. 

Lorena wasn’t wearing her Army Combat Uniform with the Sapper tab on it, but she still carried herself as if she was. Instead, she was dressed more professional like, hair braided back and clip board under her arm. She was chatting with two others and it looked like it was a business conversation. 

“I didn’t know she was here,” Flynn muttered, wanting her to turn and see him but also afraid she would do just that.

“Well, go say hi.” Stiv made a shooing gesture.

Flynn never panicked, he was always cool under pressure, but he froze up the second Stiv suggested it. “I, ah, I shouldn’t bother her.”

Stiv knocked him lightly upside the head. “Do it, because I’m not going to listen to you mope around about it for the rest of our assignment.”

“I don’t mope,” Flynn defended himself.

Stiv tilted his head and stared at him blankly.

“Alright, fine.” Flynn surrendered.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored the fact he got butterflies in his stomach, and walked down the hall towards Lorena. He managed to time it right. Whatever conversation she was having broke up right as he got to her.

“Hey, Sapper,” he said.

Lorena had a sternness to her composure, until she saw him, her eyes softening. “Flynn.”

He didn’t dare read into the sudden brightness in her expression and instead said, “I didn’t know you were on base.”

“Just got in a few days ago,” she told him. “I’ve been assigned to some new construction on base and the neighboring one.”

“Oh.” He did the math on that. “So, you’ll be around for a bit.”

“I will.” Lorena smiled, then almost timidly asked, “You?”

“Doing training,” he answered. “I’ll, ah, be around for awhile.”

“Good,” she said softly. “We should, uh, get coffee or something, since we have more… time.”

Yes, yes they did. Lorena had never left his thoughts, but he honestly thought he’d never see her again. “Must be fate.”

“No.” She frowned at him. “Fate doesn’t work that way.”

“Oh?”

“God puts people and opportunities in our path,” she explained, her smile returning. “We decide what we do with them.”

“Oh, I see.” Flynn thought this over, what she was saying. Fate may have put Lorena on this base with him, but he was the one who decided to walk up to her and let her know that he was there. “Well, what would you like to do with this opportunity?”

“As I said, coffee’s good.” Her eyes softened and became hopeful.

“Do you…” the words stuck in his throat but he pushed through. “Do you want to get coffee, at lunchtime.”

“No,” she said succinctly. 

Flynn choked at the unexpected answered.

“I have to work through lunch,” Lorena said with a slight laugh. He couldn’t help a chuckle at her. She set him up for that one. “And probably through dinner too. But tomorrow, I’ll be free for lunch.”

“Tomorrow then,” he said and it was a promise. 

“Lorena,” someone called from the offices.

“Tomorrow.” She didn’t take her eyes off of him, giving him an equal promise.

He watched her go, feeling both excited and like he was going to throw up at the same time. He hadn’t felt like this in a long time. And when she glanced back at him as she entered the office, he knew he was screwed.

**First Date**

Coffee, that was all they were doing. What they had been doing for the past few weeks when they found some spare minutes between work schedules. This time it was late on a Friday afternoon. Perfect to sit and chat, sipping on hot drinks until they became cold.

Flynn thought of himself a rather personable fellow. He could easily strike up a conversation with anyone he needed to. But there was something to be said about chatting with someone you connect to. Where the words don’t so much as get said, but expressed. They travel across the aether and are absorbed rather than heard.

Sitting turned into standing, then walking together, continuing their conversation.

They ended up at the door to Lorena’s quarters in the Officer’s Dormitory and he couldn’t exactly remember the path they had taken to get there. By the glint in Lorena’s eyes, she knew exactly what she’d been doing.

“More coffee?” she asked as she unlocked the door. It had gotten late, technically the evening now, but still plenty of hours left in the day.

As much as he liked Lorena, and he really _really_ liked her, this was a bit too fast for Flynn. There weren’t any guarantees as to what would happen once they got past the door, what Lorena had planned, but if Flynn was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

“Not tonight,” he tells her, softly, as if promising that there will be a night.

She doesn’t look angry or annoyed. Just thoughtful and perhaps even pleased. “Another night then.” The corners of her mouth ticked up. “Maybe after you ask me out on a real date?”

Flynn let out a nervous laugh. Stiv had been telling him for weeks to just ask Lorena out on a proper date. He wanted to, oh did he want to, but every time he tried to get the words out he’d stumble over them and say something stupid. The fact Lorena was still agreeing to even speak to him was a miracle.

“Why don’t you pick me up tomorrow, at seven,” she told him. “We’ll go into town, have dinner. You pick the place.”

“Seven,” he repeated the word and tried not to say any others because he was sure he’d say something completely random. He was usually so much better with his words than this.

“See you then.” Lorena smiled at him, and he really likes it when she does that. She opened her door and went inside. As she closed the door, she looks back at him, still smiling, pleased with herself, as if that had been her plan all along.

Flynn realized he’d been standing there for a solid two minutes, near grinning, before he cleared his throat and walked back to his own quarters. When he got there, he told Stiv that he was going on a date with Lorena the following night. 

“You finally asked her out?” Stiv’s eyebrows were in his hairline.

“More like she asked me out.”

“This doesn’t surprise me,” he says with a laugh, patting him on the back. “I say this with love, Garcia, but you are hopeless.”

Flynn wanted to argue but he really couldn’t. 

When he decided on the place, he called Lorena so she could veto it if she wanted to. But he remembered she really liked Thai food and there was a nice restaurant in the city. She told him it was perfect. 

It had been awhile since he last went on a date with someone. Getting pushed from one warzone to another made it difficult. But he’d had some time, like now, where he could stop and try to experience life. It had been… he couldn’t say he regretted anything. He had to really care for the person for it to get this far, before he could work up the ability to ask them out proper. 

But in the end, it never worked out.

Lorena basically asking him for a date did mix things up a bit, not that he minded. She was smart, confident, and commanding. Looking back at his previous relationships, it was becoming clear to him he had a type. 

What he didn’t have was a wide selection of civilian clothes, mostly since he could be shipped out and reassigned to who knows where at any moment. The restaurant he picked was nice, but not super fancy where he’d have to wear a suit and tie. He grabbed his dark-blue turtleneck to wear over a pair of dark jeans. It would get cold out, later, so he put on his dark-brown leather jacket.

When he pulled up to the front of the Officers’ Dorm, right on time, he saw Lorena exit the building. She was wearing a dark green tea dress that went to just below her knees, the skirt flaring out a bit. It was sleeveless with a bateau neckline, so she had on a black princess jacket that matched the length. Her hair was out of its usual braid and hung in large waves, framing her face.

Flynn knew she was beautiful, but that fact snuck up on him and slapped him in the face.

“Hey,” Lorena said as she walked up, her lips in a seemingly permanently wide grin.

“Hey, Sapper,” he replied back lamely, then tried to recover. “You look…” beautiful, gorgeous, breathtaking, special, “nice.”

“Thanks.” She pursed her lips together like she was trying not to laugh, but her eyes did enough of the laughing for her. “You look nice too.”

“Um.” He licked his lips, completely at a loss for any words that didn’t make him sound like a gibbering idiot. 

Lorena seemingly took pity on him. “Shall we go?”

“Yes,” he cleared his throat, stopped staring at her, and moved to open the passenger door. 

After he closed the door, he headed around to the driver’s side, taking a moment to mentally compose himself. He could retain his cool under fire but right now he was a bundle of nerves. He really did like Lorena and that terrified him more than being bombed by insurgents. 

Stiv was right, he was hopeless.

…

He was adorable.

The way he would smile, the dumbfounded look of admiration on his face. The way his eyes crinkled as he listened, taking in every word she said. The way he moved his hands as he spoke, as if he could not contain his emotions. 

After they first met, back at the military camp, Lorena asked about him. She was told that he was a bear. 

After the first thirty minutes of chatting with him in her tent, she realized he was indeed a bear… of the teddy-bear variety.

“Are you ready to order?” the waiter asked after delivering their drinks. 

Flynn looked to her, to see if she was ready. She nodded, handing the menu back to the waiter while ordering the Som Tam. Flynn ordered Tom Yum Goong and when the waiter asked if he wanted the mild version his response was, “That would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it?”

Could he get any more perfect?

The waiter walked off and Flynn turned back to her. They were seated at a four-person table, perpendicular to each other, not straight across. It was a seating arrangement made more intimate by the fact that this was their first actual date. 

Finally.

She had expected him to ask her out after that first-time getting coffee. When he didn’t, she thought maybe the attraction was a one-way street. Then she realized, nope, Flynn was simply too awkward and hopeless when it came to such things. Well, let it never be said that Lorena didn’t like to be helpful and give a little push where needed.

He was looking at her with that crinkle in his eyes again. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Lorena pushed forward, not quickly, giving him a chance to pull away if she misjudged the situation. But he didn’t move as she pressed her lips to his. He smelt like a dark forest on a chilly autumn night and Lorena wanted to wrap herself in it. 

There was a moment of uncertainty, Flynn unmoving until he sighed against her, one hand reaching up to gently caress her jawline. It was a soft kiss, gentle and new. A perfect appetizer. 

If Lorena had any fears that she over-stepped, they were washed away by the stupidly adorable look on Flynn’s face when they parted. He licked his lips and she could barely suppress a grin. And as much as she wanted to dive back in, it was a first kiss, on their first date, and they were in a public location. 

Flynn cleared his throat. “That was...”

“Nice?” she offered, still unable to stop grinning.

“Very nice,” he managed.

"Good, because I plan on doing it again.” The look Lorena gave Flynn did the job, making him about choke. 

He reached for his drink and she decided she had pushed enough for the moment. She grabbed her own drink and sipped at it, he needed time to recover. 

After that night in her tent, she wondered why he was still single, as good looking as he was, and smart, and considerate, and kind, and... and a better person than she was. Now she had her answer, he was simply awkward, and she really was going to have to steer the boat on this one. She didn’t mind, no one would ever use the word ‘passive’ to describe her. 

She’d have to be careful though as his heart looked be stamped ‘handle with care.’ 

Good thing she had demolitions training then. She knew when to use a light touch. 

Of course, she also knew how to make napalm with styrofoam cups, but that was beside the point.

“You said you finished the book you were reading,” she offered up a safe topic to let him get his balance back.

“Oh, yes, it was quite good.” That seemed to do the trick and restarted his brain. “It was all about Tesla’s time at Wardenclyffe. What he was trying to achieve there could have really changed the world. He just… he was just ahead of his time.”

“He really was,” she agreed easily. “There’s a professor at MIT who’s showed that wireless charging, at least on a small scale, is possible.”

“Maybe one day we’ll see Tesla’s dream imagined,” he said thoughtfully.

“Maybe.” Lorena nodded, seeing the pride of his fellow countryman in his eyes. “Hopefully he’ll also get all the credit he deserves, that Edison took from him.”

“Edison was a dick,” he snorted in disgust. 

That made her chuckle and the conversation carried on from there. They bantered back and forth about history on his end, science on hers, and the stupid shit military people get up to on both.

“You didn’t,” Flynn was laughing, nearly spilling the Tom Yong Goong on himself. 

“Where else was I gonna put it?” She had to wipe her eyes she was laughing so hard.

“You could have gotten court marshaled,” he reminded her, laugh lines still all about his face.

“Only if I got caught.”

“That was still pretty bold of you.” His words were meant to be appreciative, to celebrate her character, but they hit something just off to the left of the cold spot in her stomach.

Her words turned a bit melancholic. “Well, when you’re a female officer and one of the very few female Sappers, bold is the only way you can be, otherwise…” 

“I didn’t mean—”

“I know,” she said apologetically. His eyes were clearly worried he had said something wrong. “It just hits me, sometimes. And being around someone as good and respectful as you… it kinda makes me forget that typically I’m surrounded by assholes.”

“I see.” He tried and failed to hide the grin creeping up on his face. “So that’s the only reason you keep me around? I’m not an asshole?”

“Well, you’re tall,” she played back with a nearly straight face. “That’s a bonus right there. Oh, I can practice my Russian with you which makes my babushka happy. And, um… you’ve actually read a book and that puts you far above most everyone else I run into.”

His eyes were laughing. “Is that all?”

“I’d say you’re a good kisser too,” she got devious, leaning forward slightly, “but I don’t have enough empirical evidence to know for sure.”

“Well, Sapper, I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of scientific advancement,” he replied, leaning closer. 

That was quite possibly the smoothest he’d been since she met him. It deserved a reward. This time he was ready for the kiss, and he was oh so willing. As his lips played against hers, his hand came up to dance along her neck, up into her hair. Every movement gentle and yet solid, and she knew she could trust him to catch her if she fell. 

Forever and thirty seconds later, they parted just enough to look each other in the eye.

“So,” she said softly, trying to regain her voice, “did you want to get dessert?”

“I could go for some mango sticky rice,” he answered, clearly having gotten her double-speak and was teasingly ignoring it.

Lorena smirked at him, sitting back and taking the challenge. Flynn was worth the effort.

…

Flynn walked Lorena back to her quarters, it was the polite, gentlemanly thing to do. He also didn’t want the night to end yet. But it might have been a small tactical error as now he was standing at her door as she unlocked it, glancing at him slyly…

“Coffee?” 

He couldn’t say no, he tried, but all that came out was, “I'd like that.”

The next few seconds were a blur as he found himself standing just inside Lorena’s room, kissing her thoroughly and roughly even as she closed the door. There was no audience for them now, no reason to stay measured or polite. His hands roamed down her sides, pulling her against him. The kisses were deep, hot, and a symptom of longing. He was an idiot, he should have asked her out weeks ago.

Lorena clawed at his jacket, pushing it off his shoulders. He returned the favor and her jacket fell to the floor as he rained kisses down her neck. She smelt of lavender and vetiver, soft and deep. And she was just the right height not to break his neck as he nipped at her pulse point eliciting a wonderful sound.

That being said, there was a small table next to the kitchenette. It was nothing for him to pick her up and sit her down on the edge. She didn’t complain at all, wrapping her legs around his hips and pulling him back in for a deep kiss that ended with her nibbling lightly on his lower lip. Her hands had somehow made it up under his turtleneck and every touch made him feel like he was being tossed around in a storm swept sea.

His own hands were firmly on her waist even as he pressed into her, unsure of his own feet and what might happen if he explored her body further. One might assume she would allow him any liberties he wished to take, but, as much as he was enjoying the moment—and ho-boy, was he enjoying it—this was only the first date. 

“Lorena,” he said, his voice rough and breath quick as he pulled back just enough to slow themselves down. “We, uh...”

“Right, right…” Her head bobbed as she also tried to calm her racing blood, agreeing with him, but not interpreting him correctly. “Where’s the condoms?”

Flynn’s brain restarted at that.

She was looking over his shoulder. “Are they in your jacket?”

“I... didn’t bring any,” he admitted.

Lorena’s eyes shot to his and she leaned back to put space between them. The same fierceness that he had seen in her that first time they met was written across her now stern face. “Excuse me?”

There was no denying it, since that night in her tent, Lorena had starred in many of his fantasies. From dreams to daydreams—and a fair few times in the shower. And those had increased exponentially since running into her on base and spending time together. He wanted this, he wanted _her_ , but, “I didn’t think I’d need them on the first date.”

He was met by a blank look from Lorena who seemed to need a minute to process that. All he could hope was that she could see the truth in his face. 

Her expression broke and she started to laugh, falling forward and burying her head against his chest. 

“Lorena?” Flynn felt like this was a good thing, but he was a little confused.

She sat back up as the laugher resided and she gazed at him with an adoring expression. “Never change, Garcia Flynn, never change.” She then learned forward and kissed him, something soft and light. 

He smiled stupidly at her, his body filling with a different kind of warmth than what he just experienced.

“So, ah,” Lorena cleared her throat and then slid off of the table, fixing her now disheveled dress. “I should probably make that coffee, unless you don’t—”

“I do,” he quickly told her. “I… I enjoy spending time with you.”

Her face was still flush from their make out session, but he was sure he could see her blush at that. “Okay, um, make yourself comfortable, maybe turn on a light?”

They both laughed, it was indeed fairly dark except for the light coming in through the window from the base floodlights. She walked into the kitchenette proper and started making coffee as he flipped on the main light.

Officer’s quarters were nicer than the grunts, but that was all relative. It was basically a very small apartment and she was lucky she had a separate bedroom rather than just an open single. He hadn’t been in her place before and he was curious, no denying that. Plus, he needed to take his mind off certain... complications.

There were photos of her family, she was a single child, like him, though he hadn’t mentioned Gabriel to her. It was something that hurt enough that he tended to hold on to it longer. It sometimes felt that he was destined to have his family taken from him, even before he was born.

There was one picture of her as a teenager, standing next to her horse and holding up a large ribbon denoting she won a state barrel-racing competition. They really needed to find time to go out riding together, maybe take a picnic.

There was a good amount of organized clutter. She had engineering texts stacked around. Sketches and equations scattered across the table, a few now wrinkled thanks to him sitting Lorena on it.

There was a large cross on the wall with a rosary hanging from it. Neither items looked decorative, just old and worn. He knew she was religious. It wasn’t a topic they really discussed, but from some comments she had made, he knew she was a believer. How deep did her beliefs go?

There was a print of a building hanging on another wall. It was… interesting. At around nineteen floors, the outside of the building was asymmetrical. Lines of patina green metal ran vertically on one side, horizontal on another.

“Where is this?” he asked her.

“It’s Price Tower, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma,” she answered.

“Oklahoma, huh?” He thought back to his Texan mother who had choice words to say about the state that sat above hers. Of course, he gathered Oklahomans had choice words to say about Texans. The two states did get into a serious fight with each other over a bridge once…

“Yeah,” Lorena said as he heard the coffee pot click off. “The Tower was designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright.”

Flynn’s brows shot up as he examined the image with more scrutiny. “He built a skyscraper?” 

“Yep, only one.” 

“Huh.”

“Never gotten the chance to visit, myself,” she said as she walked over, two coffee mugs in hand. “But once I’m out, it’s on my list.”

“How long is that list?” he asked knowingly as he accepted his mug.

“To be honest, I’ve lost track.” She chuckled and then took a sip of her own coffee.

Flynn took a drink and it was made exactly as he liked. It was a small thing, but that was it, wasn’t it? A lot of small things, medium things, large things… all of it piled together until it reached the stars. 

It was becoming increasingly clear to him that he was falling in love with this woman… if he wasn’t already.

…

This was bad.

It was good, but it was bad.

Despite what others might think, Lorena did not do casual, nor did she have sex on the first date. But if it hadn’t been for Flynn… being Flynn… she would have had no regrets in the morning.

She had it bad for Flynn, and that was bad, but it felt so good.

Flynn gestured to the cross on the wall. “That looks very old, is it a family heirloom?”

“Yes, it was my babushka’s.” Lorena smiled and glanced at it. “She brought it with her when she left Russia with my grandfather. She gave it to me when I joined, said that it would remind God to watch over me as they did her.”

“You’re Catholic, right?” The words stumbled out of his mouth like most things he said did. She knew it meant nothing because once he got comfortable on a topic, he was quite the conversationalist. But this was a topic far too close to her heart.

“Yes. Unashamedly so.” And if he had a problem with it, well, perhaps it was better that things only went as far as they did.

“Good, you should never be ashamed of your beliefs,” he replied easily, a soft look dancing across his features. 

That was a near perfect response, but still. “And how about you?”

“My father was Catholic,” he said with something of a faraway expression, and she remembered how he mentioned his father died in the war. “My mother was Baptist. But you could describe both as lapsed.” He glanced back at her with a well-worn look of hope. “I just try to put my best foot forward, help people, and I figure God is keeping a tally.”

“God does,” she replied softly, encouragingly. “They know you’re a good man.”

"Just not a very well prepared one,” he said wryly.

Lorena chuckled, unable to stop herself. “Yeah, well, I’m the Sapper. I always triple check everything, you know, to avoid blowing myself up.”

“We seem to have gotten into each other’s blind spots then?” Flynn offered thoughtfully.

“Yeah, I think we have.” 

Saints preserve her, this man had gotten under her skin and she was perfectly okay that. More than okay. She had fallen bad, it felt good, but by the nature of their jobs, would she ever be able to get back up?

…

There had been plenty of women and men who made advances towards Flynn. He was aware that others found him attractive even though he wasn’t entirely sure why. He didn't think of himself as bad looking, just, you know, average looking with above average height. But, suffice to say, if Flynn did casual, he’d have no issue finding willing partners.

It was something that worried him, when he got close to someone. Did they like him? Or only want him?

And sure, he and Lorena had spent a lot of time just talking, hanging out, discovering all things they had in common, and those they didn’t. They made each other laugh. She rolled with his sometimes fumbling word vomit and often very dry wit. He liked her, he wanted her, hell, he might even be in love with her... but did she like him?

Stiv would tell him he’s an idiot and of course she likes him. Actually, Stiv told him exactly that before he left to go on this date. And Flynn couldn’t see Lorena being the kind of person to just drag him along for a few rolls in the hay. 

Still... he found it difficult to believe anyone would… love him, a man with no family, no future, who only knows how to fight... Especially by someone who has a family, a future, faith...

“I have an idea,” Lorena said brightly. “I have a copy of _Hellfighters._ ”

Flynn chuckled. “You’re not going to let me live that down, are you?”

“I can’t believe you’ve never seen any of John Wayne’s non-westerns,” she tsked, shaking her head.

“And I haven’t read every Zane Grey either,” he pointed out, chiding himself lightly.

“Something which we must rectify.” Lorena nodded sagely. “But for the moment, _Hellfighters._ ”

Flynn watched as she went to her television, rummaging through a stack of blue-rays. “That’s the one about the men who put out oil well fires?”

“Yep.” She held up the case. “It’s not going to win any awards, but, it’s what got me interested in demolitions.”

“Oh really?” He didn’t remember her mentioning that before.

“Oh, yeah, totally.” Lorena grinned. “I love the idea of putting out a fire by exploding it.” 

“Suddenly everything about you makes sense, Sapper,” he teased. 

“What can I say, _Lorena wants big boom_ ,” she did her best impression of Jamie Hyneman.

There may have been a double entendre in there, but it didn’t seem intentional. Lorena really did love her explosives. Just as much as he loved a good gun. 

They settled down to watch the movie. Lorena was all about the techniques they were using, which involved exploding nitro at the base of an oil well fire to suck all the oxygen out of the immediate area. That would extinguish the fire, but the oil was still flowing, so they had to get in with brass tools to cap off the well. It was dangerous work because all it took was one spark...

 _Hellfighters_ ended and he didn’t want to leave, so he gladly took her invitation to watch another John Wayne non-western. She put on _Hatari!_ which was nearly three hours long, something she neglected to mention, not that he minded. 

By the time the credits were rolling, Lorena was snuggled up against him, asleep. She had dozed off at the second hour mark seeing as she had the movie near memorized. His arm was wrapped around her and it felt… like he could stay like this forever. 

The movie clicked off and the silence made her stir. She looked up at him with sleepy eyes and a drowsy smile. 

“Can I stay?” he asked timidly.

“Yes,” she answered with a slow nod. 

Flynn got a little more comfortable, pulling his feet up, and she snuggled into him again. It didn’t take long for them to drift off to sleep. Her steady breathing and heartbeat lulling him. 

And when he woke up at 3am to find her nearly draped across him, vulnerable yet peaceful, he thought to himself… maybe she really does like him.


End file.
